2.+How+can+we+bridge+the+gap+between+home+and+school+literacies?+(Camera)

You can listen to this reflection by clicking the link below.

How can we bridge the gap between home and school literacies?

It is only after we acknowledge that a student’s language development affects their learning and that social identity, power, and academic literacy are related that we can begin to bridge the gap between home and school literacies. As stated in the Turn to Teaching section of my Linguistic Dimensions study, “In order to prevent systemic inequality from occurring in the classroom, a teacher is responsible for assisting students who experience a cultural mismatch. The first step should be to implement foundation strategies. These strategies are foundation-based that focus on building relationships, trust, empathy, and respect ( Ferrer, 2009). To do this, teachers should learn as much as possible about their students. A teacher should be familiar with an English Language Learner’s country of origin, language they speak, who they live with, GPA, reading level of proficiency, sports they play, hobbies, goals, and challenges they face ” ( Ferrer, 2009).

In order to bridge the gap between home and school literacies teachers should also keep an open line of communication with all parents, particularly students who are English Language Learners. Teachers should acknowledge the struggle ELL students have bridging the disconnect between Standard English and their primary discourse. It is imperative that an English Language Arts teacher encourages students to communicate openly about their experiences with issues related to race, ethnicity, and language. They should be aware of the stages each language learner goes through in the process of language acquisition. Teachers should foster the belief system that every student can learn. They should emphasize that proficiency can be reached through commitment, focus, effort, and strategy formulation ( Ferrer, 2009). Teachers should promote an authentic rapport with their students. English Language Learners will perform best if they perceive their teacher as a person who truly cares.

Once foundational strategies have been implemented, a teacher should focus on intellectual strategies. Intellectual strategies are designed to strengthen a student’s cognitive abilities. In order to implement these strategies a teacher should explore the cultures represented in the school student body and learn strategies that increase comprehension of the English Language for each specific culture. One specific strategy is code-switching. Code Switching can equalize the playing grounds for students whose primary discourse is not Standard English. Wheeler and Swords (2006) recommend that teachers stop accusing children of making grammatical errors and instead look for the pattern in the student’s language. Once a teacher has identified the pattern, they can teach how to code-switch the grammatical rule of the child’s primary discourse into Standard English. (Wheeler & Swords, 2006) Code-Switching is a strategy that can be used for any student who does not speak Standard English at home.  Instruction in story grammar may improve the performance in reading and writing for bilingual students. In a study by Fiestas and Peña in 2004, bilingual students who were instructed in story grammar through guided reading assignments, were perceived by their teachers to have improved dramatically. (Fiestas & Pena, 2004).  A similar a series of studies was conducted by Davies, Shanks, and Davies (Davies, Shanks, & Davies, 2004). These studies were conducted in the UK with children ranging from five to seven years old from families at a low socioeconomic level. The children studied were all believed to have delayed language development as judged by their standardized test scores. These children worked in language focus groups three times a week with a teacher’s assistant who helped the students understand the structure of simple stories using story grammar. The children in these studies made dramatic improvements in standardized test scores. The results were so positive that the classroom teachers began to employ story grammar techniques with their entire classes, including those children with normal language development.  Picture books will also benefit linguistically diverse learners. Harvey and Goudvis state, “When students are able to view illustrations and photographs in relation to the language, they have a better shot at making sense of the ideas, story lines, and information in the text. Sometimes kids from other countries lack the background knowledge about topics that we frequently study in school. Picture books in science and social studies build background and make the content comprehensible for English language learners.” (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007)  They recommend teachers modify instruction for linguistically diverse learners by using materials such as big books, posters, cut-up calendars, and photographs from magazines or newspapers. Adding visuals to lessons can make a huge difference in a student with limited English proficiency’s interest and understanding ( Harvey & Goudvis, 2007). // Strategies that Work //emphasizes that classrooms where student’s personal histories are valued serve as learning communities that respect differences. The text states, “Before teachers can create a climate of mutual respect, they must help kids understand and value their differences” (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007) Although I have formulated some sort of response to this question I am aware that I have a great deal left to learn before this question can truly be answered.

Sources: